Saturday, 8 May 2010

Weekend thoughts

I didn't get anywhere near achieving everything on that list, of course. It should have been titled, things to do soon. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but it seems that I never learn, with particular regard to lists.

Although I have, this afternoon, finished Dusk. All that I now need to do there is press the long seams at each side - I am glad I have that sleeve roll, it is indispensible for occasions like this! - and then I can photograph it tomorrow, if it doesn't rain.

Next onto the needles will be Pomander. I have decided that the Silk Cotton Fisherman can wait a while. I did, however, have a completely brilliant idea the other day about an alternative project. You know how sometimes you wake up in the morning with a thought in your head? - well, it happens to me, anyway. The thought in question was that I knew precisely what the next project was to be, and it was going to be an absolute joy to work on, the perfect project, etc, etc.

Can I remember what it was? Can I heck, as they say.

Most annoying. I must go and have a good look through my Ravelry queue, which has replaced my memory to a large extent when it comes to knitting plans. It will come back to me, I know it will. And in the meantime, I shall cast on for Pomander.

From the comments -

Sel and Poivre - yes, it was a good day, although I didn't get all that much done! And it is indeed very motivating to have a specific pattern for the swatch to be worked. I think if more designers did this, then we'd all swatch a lot more.

Linda - yes, I'm looking forward to the sling arriving, it looks like an incredibly sensible idea. There is even a place to clip the lead, it says. And a pocket.

Cate - it seems that we do indeed have things in common besides knitting. My issue is with pelvic pain, too. Under control at the moment, thank goodness - although there are still days which are less than good. And cockers as well! So sorry to hear that you lost yours. I know how hard it was when we lost Lucy just before Christmas. I do agree, they are lovely little dogs, affectionate and loyal, happy to go for long rambling walks, but equally happy with a quick turn around the block if you can't manage more than that.

Right now I am going to carry on with this year's wardrobe turnout.

Each spring we do this - every single item comes out of the wardrobe, every single item is tried on and assessed. If it fits, and is flattering, and will continue to be worn, it goes back in the wardrobe again. Otherwise it goes either to eBay, or to charity. I do try, very hard, to keep to a minimum the number of garments which I just can't bear to part with, even though they no longer fit. There is a pile of such things lurking at the back of one of the top shelves, even so.

This turnout includes handknits.

I am ruthless in this - I have to be, because I do knit a lot, after all. The process of knitting is sheer entertainment as far as I am concerned, I love doing it - but in addition to that, the result needs to be both used and useful or it becomes just a 'thing' that takes up space and serves no function. I am reminded of William Morris' famous words - 'Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.' If a shawl, for instance, never gets worn, and you don't want to hang it on the wall to enjoy the colours and the fabric in that way, then it has to go.....

Selling handknits on eBay is fraught with problems, it seems to me. There is the dreaded issue of copyright, after all, which seems to say that one should not sell any garment that isn't one's own design. Maybe I am worrying about this unnecessarily, I don't know. But my cast-off handknits usually end up in charity shops.

So far, we seem to have shed quite a lot of 'stuff', and this is quite cathartic. I heard something on television the other day about possessions and desires being a burden, and leading to suffering - and, do you know, I think I can understand that....